Common Resume Blunders
Make sure your resume is top-notch
by avoiding the top 10 resume blunders
- Too Focused on Job Duties
- One of the most prevalent resume blunders is to turn a
resume into a boring listing of job duties and
responsibilities. Many people even use their company job
descriptions as a guide to developing their resumes. To
create a resume that is a cut above the rest, you should go
beyond showing what was required of you, and demonstrate how
you made a difference at each company. Provide specific
examples of how the company benefited from your performance.
When developing your achievements, ask yourself the
following questions:
- How did you perform the job better than others would
have? What were the problems or challenges that you or the
organization faced? What did you do to overcome the
problems? What were the results of your efforts? How did the
company benefit from your performance? Did you receive any
awards, special recognition or promotions as a result of
your performance?
- Objective Statement That Is Flowery or Too General
- Many candidates lose their readers from the very
beginning of the resume -- the "objective statement." The
worst objective statements start with, "A challenging
position that will enable me to contribute to organizational
goals while offering an opportunity for growth and
advancement." This type of statement is overused and too
general, and therefore wastes valuable space. If you are on
a career track, consider replacing the objective with a
tagline, which is a statement of what you do or what your
area of specialty is. View the following resume sample to
see how a tagline is used.
- Too Short or Too Long
- Too many people try to squeeze their experiences onto
one page, because they've heard that a resume should never
be longer than one page. When formatting the resume to fit
on one page, many job seekers delete their impressive
achievements. The reverse is also true. Take the candidate
who rambles on and on for pages about irrelevant or
redundant experiences -- the reader will easily be bored.
When writing your resume, ask yourself, "Will this statement
help me land an interview?" Only include information that
elicits the answer "yes" to that question.
- The rule about the appropriate length of a resume is
that there is no rule. Factors that go into the decision
regarding length include occupation, industry, years of
experience, scope of accomplishments and education. The most
important guideline is that every word in the resume should
sell the candidate.
- Use of Personal Pronouns ("I" and "me") and Articles
("an" and "the")
- A resume is a form of business communication, which
should be concise and written in a telegraphic style. There
should not be any mention of "I" or "me" and only minimal
use of articles. Here is an example:
- The statement: I developed a new product that added $2
million in sales and increased the gross margin of the
market segment by 12%.
Should be changed to: Developed new product that added $2
million in sales and increased gross margin of market
segment by 12%.
- Listing Personal or Irrelevant Information
- Many people include their interests, such as reading,
hiking, snowboarding, etc. These should only be included if
they relate to the job objective. For example, if a
candidate is applying for a position as a ski instructor, he
or she should list cross-country skiing as a hobby.
- Personal information, such as date of birth, marital
status, height and weight, should normally not be included
on the resume. There are several exceptions, however, such
as some entertainment professionals and job seekers outside
of the United States.
- Using a Functional Resume When There Is a Good Career
History
- One of the pet peeves cited by hiring managers is a
candidate who describes his or her skills and achievements
but doesn't connect them with a particular job. It is
irksome not to see the career progression and the impact
made at each position. Unless you have a resume emergency
situation, such as virtually no work history or excessive
job hopping, avoid the functional resume format. One of the
most effective resume formats is the modified chronological
type. Here is the basic layout:
- Header (name, address, email address, phone number) Lead
with a strong profile section (detailing the scope of your
experience and areas of proficiency) Reverse chronological
employment history (emphasizing achievements in the past
10-15 years) Education (this might be moved to the top for
new grads)
- Other related topics include professional affiliations,
community activities, technical expertise,
publications/patents and languages spoken.
- Not Including a Summary or Profile Section That Makes an
Initial Hard Sell
- A summary section is one of the greatest tools that a
job seeker has. Candidates who have done their homework will
know the type of skills and competencies that are important
in the position. The summary should demonstrate the skill
level and experiences directly related to the position being
sought. To create a high-impact summary statement, peruse
job openings on Monster.com to determine what features are
important to employers. Next, write a list of your matching
skills, experience and education. These selling points can
then be incorporated into the summary.
- Where Are the Keywords?
- With the majority of large- and medium-size companies
using technology to store resumes, the only hope a job
seeker has of being found in an applicant search is the
inclusion of relevant industry keywords. These do not have
to be a separate section; rather, they can be sprinkled
throughout the resume.
- A good way to determine keywords is to read job
descriptions for positions that interest you. If you see
industry buzzwords, incorporate them into your resume.
- References Available…
- Employers know that if you are searching for a job, you
should have professional references. So this statement
mainly wastes space. Use it only as a graphical element --
to signal the end of a long resume or to round out the page
design.
- Typos!
- One typo can land your resume in the garbage. Two typos
or more, and your chances are greatly diminished. Proofread,
proofread, proofread, and show your resume to several
friends to have them proofread it as well. This document is
a reflection of you and should be absolutely perfect.
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